The consummate BLOODY MARY-  as crafted by leading Japanese mixologist Manabu Ohtake- Diageo World Class Global Bartender of the Year 2011

September 30th, 2012

 

The Bloody Mary enjoys a unique status- a cocktail that is most frequently consumed as a hangover cure. A mainstay of the classic Sunday Brunch, the restorative powers of the Bloody Mary are legendary. Combining  the core ingredients of tomato juice, vodka, and lemon/lime juice with additional seasonings of salts and spices to give the drink its extra punch, the result is a healthy concoction that stimulates and excites the palate with almost the complete range of human taste sensations- sweet, spicy, salty, etc. There is no fixed recipe for the seasonings added to the core Bloody Mary mix- commonly used options include Worcestershire Sauce, Tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper sauce, horseradish, black pepper and celery salt. This flexibility with ingredients has given rise to much creativity in the mixture of seasonings, with countless “personal favourite” recipes claiming to be the perfect Bloody Mary.

The origin of the Bloody Mary is commonly credited to what was called at the time a “Red Snapper”- first created at Harry’s Bar in Paris in the 1920’s. The original Red Snapper used gin rather than vodka as the neutral spirit, and is was after the cocktail gained popularity in the USA that vodka was substituted and the cocktail named as Bloody Mary.

HOW TO MAKE THE CONSUMMATE BLOODY MARY

bloody mary

First steps- add the vodka and celery- and blend.  Then strain into the mixing glass.

bloody mary

Add the tomato juice to one half of the shaker; blended contents to the other half; and pour and roll between both shakers to mix the ingredients.

bloody mary

Strain and pour into large, ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. Add garnish- basil leaf and cherry tomato.

bloody mary

Manabu’s Bloody Mary- ready for drinking.

Manabu’s Bloody Mary Recipe

Premium vodka ( Shanghai White or Ketel One)
Fresh celery
Freshly pressed tomato juice
Fresh basil leaf
Olive Brine
Tabasco sauce

Garnish with cherry tomato, basil leaf and ground black pepper

Manabu Ohtake was photographed in Hong Kong recently at the handsome bar of LILY & BLOOM  

Further information- 

Diageo Reserve World Class Hong Kong Final 2012

Diageo World Class HK Facebook

Lily & Bloom Restaurant & Bar